1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates both to a product for dispensing fluids from a personal dispenser that includes a horizontally-disposed or an angularly-disposed pump inside the dispenser and to a system and method to implement and maintain a comprehensive, multidiscipline, multimodal hand hygiene compliance management program that utilizes the personal dispenser. The dispenser includes a container to hold fluids such as sanitizing fluids, and may include a finger hold, and a slidable pump cover or cap to engage the palm of a human hand, to depress the plunger of the pump, and to cause delivery of such fluids form the dispenser into that palm. In some embodiments, these systems and methods are based on the use of the dispenser along with tracking electronics that record usage data that may be downloaded/transferred into a computer and, optionally, a promotional program. These systems and methods enable an infection control practitioner (ICP) or any other user with an organizational tool for implementing and managing a hand hygiene program, and for training and tracking compliance.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hand-held dispensers are in widespread use for delivery of personal care products of many kinds, but none includes a horizontally-disposed or angularly-disposed pump for any purpose. A need for such a dispenser exists for the delivery of fluids such as sanitizing fluids onto areas such as the palm of the human hand. Furthermore, there are systems that are designed to ensure compliance with hygiene programs, but none that utilize the single-hand use, body worn dispenser.
Some hand-held devices include U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,736 to McGraw, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,012 to Villaveces; U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,986 to Last et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,548 to Villaveces; U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,910 to Gorra; U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,069 to Foster; U.S. Pat. No. 6,426,701 to Levy et al.; and U.S. Pat. No, 6,882,278 to Winings et al.
Similar devices also include transmission means to monitor compliance at a remote location. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,812,059 to Shaw et al., U.S. Pat No. 6,236,953 to Segal, U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,546 to Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 6,883,563 to Smith and US application 2004/01050527 to Harper et al.
Systems that seek to solve the problem are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,202,666 to Knippscheer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,793,653 to Segal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,201 to Beese et al and US applications 2005/0248461 to Lane et al. and 2006/0071799 to Verdiramo.
The prior art seeks to solve some of the same problems as the instant invention, but in piecemeal fashion and to not as thorough an effect. The present invention involves a body-worn, single-hand use dispenser of sanitizers that includes electronics that allow tracking of the use through RF, IR or wireless means to a remote computer that generates reports, encourages compliance and provides remedial action to those who are non-compliant as well as rewards to those who are compliant.